The overarching question imparting urgency to this exploration is: Can U.S.-Russian contention in cyberspace cause the two nuclear superpowers to stumble into war? In considering this question we were constantly reminded of recent comments by a prominent U.S. arms control expert: At least as dangerous as the risk of an actual cyberattack, he observed, is cyber operations’ “blurring of the line between peace and war.” Or, as Nye wrote, “in the cyber realm, the difference between a weapon and a non-weapon may come down to a single line of code, or simply the intent of a computer program’s user.”
Speaker: Christiana Figueres, Co-founder of Global Optimism.
Moderator: Kathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family Professor of Human Rights Policy, HKS
Please join us on Earth Day 2021 when international leader on climate change and former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres delivers this year's Robert S. McNamara Lecture on War and Peace.
As we begin this critical decade for climate action with growing momentum for protecting and restoring our global commons, the intensity of this moment makes it a uniquely compelling and privileged time to be alive. How we achieve a sustainable well-being for everyone everywhere on a thriving planet and protect the most vulnerable from the worst impacts of climate change will be the most defining chapter in the story of our species — one we can only write together. As we stand at this turning point, our responsibility is clear. The future we choose lies in the hands of each of us alive today.
Please register in advance for this event here.
For more information, please contact cathey_park@hks.harvard.edu.